Hell Or High Water

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  • Hell Or High Water

    Jeff Bridges as a Texas Ranger (on the eve of retirement, naturally) chasing Chris Pine and his insane brother across West Texas on a bank robbery spree

    When the story sticks to this tension and conflict, it is pretty great. When it frequently reverts to hitting the audience over the head with the message that "banks are bad!" it doesn't work as well.

    A little of the Coen Brothers' (whose No Country For Old Men it evokes) touch of understatement and deadpan would have gone a long way to elevating the film to something truly great.

    Still, it's a fun and mostly fresh take on the modern western genre. But like the writer's previous script, Sicario, I found myself wanting to like it just slightly more than I actually did

  • #2
    Re: Hell Or High Water

    Liked it, enjoyed it, respected the quality of the script and filmmaking, didn't love it.
    "People who work in Hollywood are the ones who didn't quit." -- Lawrence Kasdan

    Please visit my website and blog: www.lauridonahue.com.

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    • #3
      Re: Hell Or High Water

      It looks interesting. I'm glad to see the Western return to screens. Bone Tomahawk was pretty incredible.

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      • #4
        Re: Hell Or High Water

        Saw this last night and thought it was lovely. I agree the "banks are bad" thing was a bit heavy-handed, but overall it was very well-crafted with strong performances. I'd love to read the script sometime.

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        • #5
          Re: Hell Or High Water

          I thought the 'Comancheria' script was excellent -- a couple of notches better than 'Sicario' -- so I'm primed to see this. A few people in the business have told me it's the best film they've seen this year, with great performances -- guessing some AA noms are likely. Also heard good things re 'Wind River', which Sheridan is either shooting or is already in the can. I believe this guy is the real deal.

          I don't know how much the draft of the script I read is in the film, but I thought the 'banks are bad' theme (certainly accurate, as anyone who read or saw 'The Big Short' or simply been a sentient being for the past decade, is aware) was one among many. It's also about family, the relationship between brothers, desperation, isolation, the history of the land, and the looming finality of death.

          I thought this guy had simply done great research to create the world of 'Sicario' but it's now clear that he grew up in this culture and knows it intimately. Archer City is one of the locations in the script -- thinking this reference to the hometown of Larry McMurty, might hint at the influence of another gifted Texan.

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          • #6
            Re: Hell Or High Water

            I loved it.
            I think what I loved most was that I went into it thinking it was a "Western." Meaning, I guess, that I had the idea that it was taking place pre-1900s. When it had so many elements of a Western but was set in modern day -- that was very cool.

            I loved the bank robberies, I loved the reason they were doing it, I loved the dialogue, I loved the acting. And I really liked that, unlike a typical Western where we're just watching bad guys shoot good guys or whatever, the ending was a little tricky -- who were we rooting for and why? What about when he changed from a rifle to an automatic?

            I didn't mind the commentary on the banks, and I thought that scene had quite a lot of commentary on guns. Anyway. Glad this movie exists.

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            • #7
              Re: Hell Or High Water

              Best movie I'v seen this year. Interesting structure with the two pairs of protags. Reminded me of NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN (which is kind of obvious) and also of THE THREE BURIALS OF MELQUIADIS ESTRADA (which I still think is a much underrated film).

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              • #8
                Re: Hell Or High Water

                I saw this in the theatre when it came out. I enjoyed it very much.

                All the actors did a great job, the writing was well done, and giant kudos to Ben Foster having the nerve to sit that still when a real snake was that close to his foot. (yep it was a real rattler not cgi)

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